A representative for TLC wouldn't yet confirm whether the hip-hop mogul was able to purchase advertising time vacated by Lowe's home improvement stores, which dropped their sponsorship of the show (filmed in Dearborn) after pressure from extreme right-wing activists.

As we reported yesterday, Simmons was one of a handful of celebrities urging Twitter fans to share petitions and contact Lowe's asking that the advertising be reinstated. That petition now has 21,000 signatures.